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The Weekend Getaway

Dee-Dee could barely contain herself. She wanted to laugh out loud but was afraid
that her friends on the other side of the wall would hear her and thus give
away the practical joke.

Dawn whispered to Dee-Dee, “I cannot believe that Dara and Darius
fell for this ruse. You know Darius is
going to whip yours and Dan’s butts when he finds out this is all a joke.”

Dee-Dee grinned as
she peered over Dan’s shoulder at the two computer monitors before them. On each screen was a block of squares showing
the different rooms in the large home they were in. “Oh Dawn don’t be such a worry wart. Besides, it will be your big head husband
that takes the brunt of Darius’ anger.”

Dee-Dee smacked the back of Dan’s bald head lightly.
“Whatever, Ashy-Wan.”

Even Dan had to laugh
at Dee-Dee’s play on words. Try as he
might, he and his wife Dawn had tried it all to cure his chronic dry skin. He had developed a sense of humor about it
all through the years. Besides, Dawn
said ashy or no she still loved her Dan.
That was all that mattered.

Still Dawn
worried. This could go wrong in so many
ways. She hoped Darius could take a joke
otherwise Dan could be headed for an ER visit and stitches.

It was only six months ago that a friendly chat about
haunted houses and things that go bump in the night had Dara declaring, “Most
horror movies are stupid. There is no
way I’d stay in a haunted house. First
time something starts moving of its own accord in any house I’m living in and
that house is back on the damn market.
Period.”

Dawn had
laughed. “Yeah, right. Ghosts are harmless, Dara. You’d learn to live with it.”

“Whatever, Dawn. Every living thing in my house pays
bills. Even the cats pay dues, catching
mice and such when they aren’t trying to kill me by tripping me.” Everyone broke up at the mention of the
erasable Leo and suspected homicidal Cleo.

The subject was
changed but an idea began to hatch in Dan’s truly diabolical mind of the
perfect practical joke. Who better to
play it on than Dara and her husband Darius?

In relatively short
order everything needed for the joke fell into place. A friend who had a large furnished house on a
lake in upstate New York who thought the joke all in good fun. A ruse of a free luxury getaway weekend for
four at said house on the lake in the dead of winter.

A group of friendly
cohorts that included Dan, his wife Dawn, their chocolate cherub of a friend Dee-Dee,
along with Dave, Dren and his partner Danny, Drea, and Twinki.

The four women and four men had taken up residence in the
house a couple days earlier to rig it with cameras, microphones, and of course
pranks a plenty to make Dara’s and Darius’ stay one that they would never
forget.

Dara and her husband
drove through the fresh plowed roads to the lake house. The directions were perfect. They had stopped in a town midway there to
pick up provisions for a simple supper once they arrived. It would be late by the time they arrived and
the town where the lake house was located would more than likely already be
asleep.

The two couldn’t believe their luck in having won a free weekend
at the lake house for four. They had
thought about bringing another couple but they were still newlyweds and were
looking forward to the quiet time alone and away from the cares of their jobs
and the city. The privacy and walls that
were not attached to anyone else’s residence were just too good to pass up by
inviting others along.

But when they drove up and parked in front of the huge hulk
of a manse, Dara started to rethink their decision.

She opened the door and stepped out in the cold
twilight. She appraised the house as it
seemed to appraise her. She could not
shake the feeling that she was being watched.

“Darius, maybe we should invite someone up. It is such a big place.”

Darius threw her a
devilish smile. “Don’t worry, baby, we
are going to use every one of those rooms.”

Dara laughed a little
too loud. The hollow sound echoed off
the front of the house back at her like the house laughed at her. Her laughter was cut short.

She looked around for
her husband to find him in the trunk grabbing suitcases. “Go get the door, babe, and I’ll get the
bags.”

Dara swallowed at the
fearsome lump in her throat at the thought of approaching the house alone. Instead of heading up the stairs she walked
around to the trunk and reached for two small tote bags. “Let me help you, Darius. The last thing I want is for you to throw out
your back or pull a muscle our first day here.”

Darius looked up in
surprise. Dara had never offered to
carry luggage in all the time they had been together. Especially, not after having her nails done. Her manicure was less than a day old. He squinted at her curiously in the gathering
darkness.

He could sense her
nervousness. He glanced up at the dark
hulk and felt a bit of unease himself but shook it off as Dara’s nerves
affecting him. He gathered up the rest
of the luggage and led the way up to the house.

The caretakers had
been out to shovel and salt the driveway, steps, and porch. Darius put down his bags and took the key
from Dara, ignoring her shaking hand.

When they stepped
inside both their nervousness subsided.
Inside it was cozy, country and it was charming.

Darius dropped the
bags at the door and searched for a light switch. Finding it just inside the door, he flipped
it and the few remaining shadows disappeared.

Dara stepped inside
and shook off her fears. This place was
too cute and cozy to be haunted.

In short order they
got the groceries put away, picked out a room, and had dinner. Nothing special, just cold cuts and wine.

Darius had done the
driving and Dara had promised him a sensuous massage. He was in a hurry to get the massage started.

They chatted amiably
and listened to the house settle around them.
As full dark approached Dara felt her unease return. Still there were no boogies peaking at her
from around corners as they climbed the stairs to their room. Everything seemed nice and normal. She kept trying to tell herself she was just
nervous because of the quiet.

They entered the
bedroom and Darius fell on the bed pulling Dara with him. She landed on top of him and began to kiss
him.

Behind the cameras Dan
received double elbows in his sides. One
elbow from his wife and the other from Dee-Dee.

Dawn spoke up,
“Alright Dan, start the haunting before this goes much further. If Darius finds out that you recorded their
sexy times you will not survive the beating and I haven’t upped your life
insurance policy lately.”

Dan spoke testily in Dee-Dee’s
direction. He knew better than to use that tone at his wife. “Alright. Alright. But I’m saying. If you don’t tell it, I wouldn’t. Ain’t like I’d post it to a porn site and
open a PayPal account.” The three
chuckled as Dan threw switches making the lights flicker.

Dee-Dee couldn’t help
but respond. “Dan, you really ain’t
worth a thin dime.”

Dee-Dee and Dawn
signaled to their cohorts located throughout the house using twoways to begin
donning costumes and to get into position.

Dan switched on the
sound affects and fog machines as the lights flickered and heard startled
curses through the speakers. His grin
was so wide it took up his whole face.

Dara jumped up. “What the hell?”

Darius stood up
tense. He didn’t believe in ghosts and
he wasn’t about to start now because of a few flickering lights. Then the night wasn’t over.

“Calm down baby. It is an old house and probably has a
short.” His explanations were cut short
as an awful groaning started. Dara
almost jumped into his arms.

“Darius, let’s get
out of here.”

“Baby, calm down! There’s an explanation-“ Before he could finish his thoughts the cold
fireplace exploded to life. A face
appeared in the flames and began to laugh evilly. That was all Dara needed and she took off
running leaving her husband standing in shock.

Darius wanted to
investigate the fireplace but took off after his wife who he could hear running
through the halls screaming. He ran out
into the hall to find it freezing and a fog filling the hall.

He followed the sound of his wife’s screams and found her
around the corner in front of the bathroom screaming at an apparition floating
above the floor. Darius went cold. He grabbed his wife who screamed at the touch
turned and pushed him into a wall as she ran past him for the stairs.

As she passed rooms that had been empty when they arrived
ghostly hands reached out and pulled at her clothing as she passed. By the time she reached the stairs her feet
were barely touching the floor. She flew
down the stairs and fumbled with the front door before pulling it open and
running screaming to the car.

Darius took a moment to recover but when he did he looked up
and the apparition screamed at him. Then
he was off and running too. He felt the
hands and just as his wife, he never looked back to see what was after
him. He ran out to the car and found his
wife screaming at him to open the doors.

He searched frantically in his pockets his heart sinking as
he realized that his car keys were still in his coat pocket. His coat was hanging on a hook just inside
the door.

Suddenly the front door opened. He grabbed his wife and pushed her behind him
and waited. His coat came out followed
by five people he and his wife knew all too well and they were laughing their
fool heads off.

They started taking off claws and wiping off ghostly make
up. Darius’s temper flashed for a moment
but then even he was laughing. Dara was
not amused.

“You bastards!”

Dren spoke as he removed his mask that was the face from the
fire. “Don’t get your panties all bunched
at us. This was Dan’s idea.”

“Dan? I should have known! Dan!
Get your fat ashy azz out here so I can beat it!”

The three who
remained in the house grinned at each other.
Mission accomplished.

Dan looked at his
wife. “I guess that is our cue to go
take our bows.”

Dawn started to laugh and stopped. Pale hands gripped her around her waist. She looked down and then back at Dan and Dee-Dee. Her eyes as big as saucers.

Then a face appeared beside hers and it was nothing that had
been preprogrammed.

Dee-Dee’s voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t suppose that is one of yours is it, Dan?”

Dan shook his whole body.

“Ok then.” Dee-Dee
turned and took off running for the attic stairs. “Get Dawn, Dan!”

Dan grabbed at his wife but the thing would not let go. Finally, it screeched at him so loud it was
heard by the seven people outside and Dee-Dee as she ran through the
house. “She’s my Dawn now! GET.
OUT.”

Dan screamed and pulled at Dawn one last time as he turned
and followed Dee-Dee’s retreat.
Screaming like a girl as he ran.

Dan had barely cleared the door before Dawn broke out in a
grin. The ghostly hands released Dawn.

She turned to the near solid apparition. “Thanks, Claire. That will teach my husband to play these
little games.”

“Oh that was so much fun, Dawn. I haven’t had that much fun since I died.”

Dawn held out her hand to Claire who reached out a ghostly
one to her. They both shuddered at the
exchange of energy. Claire returned to Dawn
the energy she had lent her ghostly form and she in turn took her ghostly
energy back. It was the only way Claire
could make the journey over waterways and such.

Everyone knows ghosts can’t cross water. At least not without a little help.

Claire started to fade.
“See you at home, Claire. I
bought a couple new dresses for you to play with. They are all hung up in my closet.” The scent of flowers was all the answer that
Claire was able to give now that she had returned Dawn’s living energy.

Dawn then started tearing at her clothing to make it look
like she had struggled to get free. On
the monitors she could see everyone outside screaming for her including her own
husband. The guilt she was about to hit
him with was priceless. It was her
forever get out of jail free card. Had
she looked closer she would have noticed that there was one person missing.

As she made ready to leave the door slammed and the room
grew cold. Dawn swallowed.

“Claire.” Her voice
echoed back at her.

She turned as a hand made a grab for her and then she too
went running screaming out of the house.
It was now no longer an act.
She’d seen Dan and everyone else outside. She knew there was no one else in the
house. There should have been no other hands.

Once outside the house came to life. Lights flickered, groans that had not been
programmed were heard, a woman screamed from inside and called out for
help. The group ran screaming through
the forest for the road to town. The Darius’
coat and car keys on the ground by the car forgotten.

Inside the house, in
the attic three conspirators shared a good laugh. They were Dorian and Dristan, Dan’s and Dawn’s
own children and their favorite wily aunty Dee-Dee.

“Ok, boys, now let’s
get our pranks and get out of here. Do
you have the devices?”

The boys nodded
eagerly and handed Dee-Dee what looked like a flashlight. It was however, a highly sophisticated piece
of technology. Somehow, two such young
boys had developed a transdimentional traveling device out of the pieces of an
erector set and an old computer that their father was going to junk.

They had shown it to
no one but their aunty Dee-Dee because she was always playing with them on
their level. They appreciated that and
so shared their secret with her. She in
turn showed them ways to use it that were harmless but fun.

When they first let her in on the secret, there was only
one. Now she had one of her very own and
it proved to be priceless. She had
convinced the boys to keep it a secret until they grew up because most grownups
truly weren’t ready for such technology.

They turned off all the devices that Dan had left running
and removed the devices that they had added when the others weren’t
looking. They took their time as they
knew no one would be back before daylight.

Once they had made two passes in the house to be sure all
signs of their ghostly shenanigans were gone, they each programmed their
devices for home, stepped into their portals and were gone.

The boys got home and into bed long before their sitter came
to wake them for breakfast.

Dee-Dee got into bed imagining the phone calls asking her
where she was. She couldn’t wait to act
surprised and say she had never been there to begin with.

The three conspirators settled down and slept the sleep of
undisturbed children.

About Me

I'm a dreamer. I dream of places and people that don't seem possible. I dream of things that perhaps should not be put to paper but I dream them none the less. I want the world to see my dreams and interpret them in all the best possible ways. I want us all to live a new life and dream a new dream. I want to be one of those that inspire the new dreams of humanity. Good dreams full of sweetness and spice.